


miles away, miles away

by disaster_bitch



Category: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Post-Canon, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:14:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23492272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disaster_bitch/pseuds/disaster_bitch
Summary: rematched the movie with my family  during quarintine and wrote this right after.  unedited.  hell, i didn't even read it once i was done i just had to get these words out
Relationships: Anna Shephard/Steph North
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	miles away, miles away

**Author's Note:**

> rematched the movie with my family during quarintine and wrote this right after. unedited. hell, i didn't even read it once i was done i just had to get these words out

It was miles away.Little Haven was miles away from them.If it hadn’t been for that day’s previous events, the car ride would have been almost nice. 

Everything still felt surreal. 

Nick replayed bashing his fathers head in with a baseball bat over and over in his mind until all the details had changed and it was somehow _worse_ than before.He was barely even tethered to this realm anymore.Part of him wanted to find something, _anything,_ and just — end it all.There was no reason to keep going anyways. 

Anna wanted so badly to hold her father in her arms and pretend everything was okay.With her mothers death still fresh in her mind, despite the amount of time that had passed, death was still just a concept to her.Maybe if she closed her eyes and opened them again she would be a child making snow angels with her father while her mother judged. 

Steph was driving.Not that it made much difference.No other cars were on the road so an accident was the least of everyone’s worries.With this little bit of time she had before someone turned on the radio, she found freedom in her thoughts, not that they helped any.Her girlfriend was dead, her parents were dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, _dead._ And nothing could bring them back.Yet she clung to the notion that maybe, just maybe, they were still alive somewhere. 

Nick snapped out of his thoughts long enough for a few words to spill out of his mouth.“It’s so quiet in here.”

Anna snorted from the backseat. 

Sure, his words didn’t sound like his own but who could blame him.He had to let his facade crumble at some point.His confidence even after being forced to leave his closest friends for dead was doomed to fall.Killing helped to distract him from his fathers death but now the open road didn’t do much to steer his thoughts in a healthy direction.Thank God the tear escaping his eye was hidden from the women in the car, he was still attempting to hold up the remains of his fuckboy attitude. 

Steph wordlessly moved her hand to the radio dial, turning it to some pop station she listened to maybe once.The upbeat cheery tempo felt inappropriate but they all needed an outlet. 

Miles and miles passed by them.The English countryside was gorgeous, or it should have been. 

Maybe it was all a nightmare.They would wake up soon.Anna would resume avoiding her lingering feelings for Nick.Nick would do what he did best — be a dick.Steph would tell her girlfriend about the crazy dream she just had.Everyone would still be alive.None of these children would have blood on their hands.It was okay. 

Just for a second Nick blamed his fathers death on him.Maybe if he tried hard enough he would still be alive.Maybe it would have turned out differently if his dad could have held on a little longer.The guilt tore at his insides for even daring to think that until it felt almost worse than the guilt over _killing_ his father. 

Anna wanted to stab Savage over and over and over again until he was gone and then some more.It was all his fault.He’s the reason Tony— it’s all Savage’s fault.He didn’t even deserve the title of mister anymore.Not after what he’d done. 

“There’s a bottle of vodka in my bag down there,” Steph said, motioning to her backpack at Nick’s feet.“You two can drink it, you look like you need something.”

“What about you?” chimed Anna’s voice from the back. 

Steph lifted her hand to gesture at the steering wheel.With a nod, Anna turned her head to stare out the window. 

The trees passed by her.Trees and grass, trees and grass, trees and grass.She would have fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for John’s hand reaching out for her to help, to save him, whenever she closed her eyes. 

Steph’s voice broke her out of her reverie.“We need to stop soon; I’m running a little low on gas.”

The tiny jump of surprise Anna went through didn’t miss Steph.Steph’s eyes met Anna’s in the mirror.And just for a second Anna felt safe.Like the world could end again and she had nothing to fear. Her body involuntarily shivered and she moved to pull her jacket tighter around her as if it would somehow make the car warmer. 

A few more minutes flashed by before the car was turning off the road and into a (thankfully) deserted gas station. 

“I’m getting food, I’ll take a bit,” Nick broke the silence before vanishing into the small store with nothing but his bat. 

Steph began to fill the tank with as much as it could hold.She rested her weight on the side of the car in wait. 

Anna moved to unlock the door so she could stretch her legs a little only to find it blocked by Steph.With a little more force, Steph got the memo and moved out of the way. 

“Do you want to talk about…” Steph offered, her hands in the middle of some gesture in the direction they had come from before a click sounded from the pump. 

“I — sure,” Anna replied.A beat passed before she opened her mouth again.“I feel like its my fault.That if John and I had gone to the show last night then my dad would still be alive. _John_ would still be alive.”

A choked sob caught in her throat before she even realized she was crying.It was all just so unfair.A comforting hand came to rest on her arm.“I loved him, y’know?” Anna continued.“It wasn’t in the way he wanted but it was still there.He was my best friend and I can’t — couldn’t — imagine my life without him.If he were here I’d get married to him on the spot just to make him happy.Hell, it would make my dad happy.Another tie to this town.”

Anna forced out a laugh.“It’s funny, I was going to go to Australia and travel for a year before uni.My dad didn’t approve.I guess I don't have much of a choice in traveling now. 

“I love — I love him so much.I didn’t see him die.I want so bad to believe that my dad is back at the school and alive and _safe._ ”

The hot tears burned into Anna’s cheeks as she tried to mop them up with the sleeves of her jacket.She slowly sank to the ground from her place at Steph’s side.She let her feet slide out from under her until her she felt the cold concrete along her legs. 

Steph lowered her body down to Anna’s level.She felt the weight of Anna’s trembling body curl into her side as Anna gently rested her head in the other girl’s lap.She absentmindedly brought her fingers to her new friend’s hair, twisting and playing with the smooth brown hair.Maybe it was to distract her, maybe it was to comfort Anna; she didn’t really know or care.Her other hand found its way to her friend’s cheek to wipe away the tears as they came barreling out. 

“If it helps, I feel the same about my family.They’re so far away that it might not have reached them.I keep hoping against all hope that my phone will ring and I can answer it and my mom or my dad or my girlfriend —” something found it’s way into her eyes and throat and suddenly she was wiping tears away.The now still form of her friend lying on her lap shifted until Anna’s eyes met her own.Anna pushed herself into a sitting position next to Steph and gently guided the other girls head onto her shoulder.Anna wrapped her arms around her shaking friend. 

It was comforting to Steph, to have Anna gently running her fingers through Steph’s hair, rocking back and forth while humming a lullaby.Just for a second she imagined her girlfriend doing this exact thing to comfort her before she returned to the present, the sobs racking her body more violently than before. 

“Thank you,” Steph choked out. 

Anna hummed in response and wrapped her arm more firmly around the crying woman next to her. 

They both shifted back into their original position, Anna’s head resting on Steph’s lap. 

Steph continued, “she’s — I tried calling her, she never picked up.It’s been hours since.She would have called back by now.I don’t want to know how it happened.”

That was all Steph managed to force out before breaking down into sobs again.Anna moved to face her friend.Her hands reached out to brush the tears aside. 

Before she knew it, Anna was crying too.Anna’s hands kept their place on Steph’s cheeks as she moved ever so slightly forward.Her lips brushed by the other girl’s just barely before instantly pulling away. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry I should’t have done that, I’m sorry—” Anna stuttered out before Steph was pulling her back in with a hunger.It wasn’t romantic, it was just two survivors desperate to seek solace.Their lips were both wet with tears yet moved together in a way that was entirely new to both of them. 

Anna broke off for air.Sensing they were done, Steph fiddled with her fingers. 

“It’s okay, you’re fine, we’ll all be okay,” Steph mumbled.Partly to Anna, partly to herself, partly to any god who would listen. 

Anna returned to her friend’s side and coaxed her into lowering her head onto the brunette’s lap.Anna’s fingers returned to her friend’s hair as well. 

This time it was Anna’s turn to thank Steph for nothing and everything all at once. 

Steph hummed in response and nestled her body into a more comfortable position. 

Just then Nick returned from the interior of the little store, snacks and drinks in hand.The two girls leapt up from their resting place to pile back into the car. 

Nick distributed the food and water evenly.He even went to offer Steph a beer before realizing what he was doing and instead placing it in the console. 

He was different than before.It was strange.As they continued on with their journey, they all knew that their old selves had died back when the world ended.This was new territory, a new beginning. 

Their old lives were miles away, miles away.  And it might just be a beautiful day. 


End file.
